Getting from the airport to Dubrovnik – local bus transfers to Dubrovnik Bus Station

Airport Shuttle to the old town of Dubrovnik

A very convenient service to get you into the centre of town quickly and efficiently is the non-stop airport shuttle service. For 40 kuna, it takes passengers to Pile Gate at the entrance to the old town, and Dubrovnik bus station. The service runs 7 days a week all year. You can buy tickets online. Journey time is about 40 minutes.

From the airport to Dubrovnik city centre by taxi and Uber

Taxis are readily available at the airport for transfers to the old town of Dubrovnik. The price is in the region of 250 kuna, although try and agree the price in advance. Alternatively, Uber is also available in the city, and ordering via the ride-sharing app will set you back 180 kuna.

Private transfers from the airport to Dubrovnik

If you would like to arrange a private transfer from the airport to Dubrovnik, further afield in Croatia or neighbouring Montenegro, contact us at [email protected] Subject Dubrovnik Transfer

How to get to and from the airport in Dubrovnik to Kotor and the rest of Montenegro

Dubrovnik may be in Croatia, but for tourists heading to Montenegro, the airport option in Dubrovnik has long been an attractive option.

The airport is located less than 30 minutes from the border with Montenegro, and the number of international flights make it a viable option for those planning a holiday in Montenegro. Some people understandably just want to check out the country of Wild Beauty, with UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Bay of Kotor, a top destination.

From the airport in Dubrovnik to Split

Dubrovnik and Split are two of the most popular destinations in Croatia for tourists to visit, with many flying into one city and out of the other. But there is no scheduled transfer from the airport to Split, and you will have to either have to organise a private transfer (please contact us on [email protected] for more details) or head into the city centre of Dubrovnik and organise onward travel.

Helicopter transfers from Dubrovnik to Montenegro

Dubrovnik and the Dalmatian coast may have the elite reputation, but the big boats are mooring in neighbouring Montenegro. The arrival of Porto Montenegro and, more recently, The Chedi at Lustica Bay, has put Montenegro ahead of Croatia in terms of luxury tourism, certainly for the superyacht owners, who enjoy excellent facilities in the hands of Croatia’s southern neighbour.

Dubrovnik is still a huge draw, however, and the helicopter service from Tivat Airport, close to both Porto Montenegro and Lustica Bay, is very busy in the season with its 15-minute transfer across the border to the airport in Dubrovnik. For more information, and to book, contact us at [email protected]

Flights to Dubrovnik – which airlines are coming

Dubrovnik has two seasonal schedules – winter and summer. As you can see from the 2018/2019 winter schedule, there are relatively few carriers:

The winter schedule runs from the end of October until March 30, 2019. The 2019 summer schedule was not available at time of writing, but here is the 2018 summer schedule by way of comparison.

One BIG addition to the 2019 scene will be American Airlines, who will be connecting the Pearl of the Adriatic with the United States with direct flights from Philadelphia, the first time Dubrovnik and the US have been connected directly since the Homeland War.

Cheap Flights to Dubrovnik

After the national carrier, Croatia Airlines, Dubrovnik belongs to easyJet, the number 2 airline at the airport in terms of passenger traffic. They are followed by Jet2 and Vueling, and there are several low-cost carriers in the top 10 (see below).

One interesting addition is Ryanair, who announced in December 2018 that they would be commencing operations in Dubrovnik with flights from Dublin in June 2019. After many years of discussions and some 11 years after the Irish carrier put Zadar on the map, it remains to be seen how they will influence the Dubrovnik market.

Are there still seaplanes from Dubrovnik?

There was an aviation revolution in Croatia on August 27, 2014, as the first scheduled seaplane operation in modern European aviation history took off from Resnik, close to Split Airport, arriving just 15 minutes later in Jelsa on the island of Hvar. An ambitious plan to connect Croatia’s Adriatic coast and islands included flights from the airport in Dubrovnik (some of the planes were amphibious) to destinations such as Korcula and downtown Split.

A live airport webcam from Dubrovnik

Are there any hotels near the airport in Dubrovnik?

There are no hotels at the airport itself. However, if you prefer not to take a transfer from the city centre, the closest hotel option is the 3-star Hotel Konavle in Cilipi. It is located just 2km from the airport.

What is the airport code for Dubrovnik?

The airport code for Dubrovnik is DBV.

Airport parking at Dubrovnik

Parking at the airport in Dubrovnik is much cheaper than Zagreb Airport, for example. There are some 200 parking spaces in total, and you can find the prices below:

Airport Car rental at Dubrovnik

As one would expect, the airport is well served with car rental options, and there are several car rental options in the airport terminal. Find your favourite below. One-way car rental options are an efficient and cost-effective method of onward travel. If you are heading to Montenegro, also check that the green card insurance is included in your rental agreement.

Airport facilities at Dubrovnik – food, shopping, changing money

Dubrovnik is not the best-equipped airport in the world for food, shopping and other facilities, but it covers the basics – cafes, duty-free, newsagents, money exchange services and OTP bank.

Airport Map of Dubrovnik

Flying to Dubrovnik – the bura wind

One of the disadvantages of the airport in Dubrovnik, particularly during winter, is its susceptibility to the famous strong northern wind of Dalmatia – the bura. When the bura blows, life changes, and while I personally love it and happily walk around in t-shirt to blow away the cobwebs, life comes to a halt for many.

That includes the airport in Dubrovnik, which is affected by the strong winds, and it is not an uncommon occurrence for flights to be either cancelled or diverted to Split. Check the weather before flying and prepare yourself accordingly.

Top Destinations to Dubrovnik (2017 numbers)

Flights from London to Dubrovnik are easily the most popular route to the Pearl of the Adriatic. Here are the 2017 top ten destinations connecting to the airport in terms of passenger numbers:

Top Airlines at Dubrovnik (2017 passenger numbers)

Croatia Airlines may still be the most popular carrier, but easyJet flights to Dubrovnik are on the increase, and they head the list of options of cheap flights to Dubrovnik. Here are 2017’s top ten, by number of passengers and market share:

Expansion of the airport in Dubrovnik

The opening of the new terminal at Dubrovnik in 2017 is just the latest in the development of an airport which is undoubtedly showing the ambition to match the quality of the destination it serves. I was generally very impressed at the level of construction when I drove past on the way to Montenegro recently. Despite massive works, which are scheduled to complete in May 2019, the winter schedule is almost totally unaffected. And for the latest updates on progress, follow the TCN dedicated page.

History of the airports of Dubrovnik

The current airport is located in the Konavle region, close to the village of Cilipi, some 20km from the centre of Dubrovnik, and 6km from another popular destination – Cavtat. But it is not the first airport for the city. That accolade goes to Gruda, closer to Montenegro, where the first airport was built in 1936.

Construction on the Cilipi airport started in 1960, and commercial operations began in 1962. The airport gradually expanded until it was occupied, plundered and devastated by the Yugoslav army in 1991.

Reconstruction and recovery have been impressive and the new terminal building opened in 2017. In the same year, Dubrovnik subsequently handled more than 2 million passengers for the first time in history. This number was soon surpassed in 2018. With ongoing expansion, the sky is literally the limit.

Cave under Dubrovnik’s airport

And you thought everything of interest at the airport was above ground…

Under the runway and apron is Djurovica Cave, located under Mocici village, which is also part of the airport these days. The cave is 199m long and was regularly visited until the 1960s, when construction of the airport began. It is currently (temporarily) closed due to the ‘Dubrovnik Airport Development Project’.